Originally posted by Dimitri Dzengalshlevi
Then why is the US developing a new generation of nuclear weapons? 
Which are? Since 1990 there have been no new designs of US nuclear warheads or nuclear weapons delivery systems such as missiles.
Russia by contrast has continued development and deployment of middle range and long range nuclear missiles. Information about warhead designs and
production is not publicly available.
This is in response to the NATO threat. At the peak of anti-nuclear weapon movements in the early 2000s, both the US and Russia agreed to a set list
of protocols to halt nuclear weapon development and dismantle their current stockpiles. Then the notion came to completely dismantle all nuclear
weapons, and Bush came into power. Bush then proceeded to drop the US out of most of the nuclear weapons treaties (aside from the testing treaties
that only allow underground detonations) and even dropped out of the anti-ballistic missile treaty which limited both Russia and the US to only one
ABM defensive location each, proving that the Americans were after first-strike capability against the Russians.
Subsequent events do not prove such a thing. Russia withdrew from START II in response to the USA withdrawing from ABM treaty. The SORT agreement
between presidents Putin and George W Bush went into effect in 2002.
The USA unilaterally deactivated and dismantled all MIRV ballistic missiles. The only remaining operational ICBM of the USA is the Minuteman III,
which was first deployed in 1970. The USA loads only one warhead per missile.
The GWB and Obama administrations negotiated the START III treaty and was signed on 8 April 2010 by Presidents Medveded and Obama.
Compared to Russia, the actions of the USA since 1990 show a complete disinterest in capable first-strike strategic technology (i.e. modern MIRV
missiles) against a technological adversary.
The USA is interested in small "bunker buster" but the only such weapon actually produced is the B61-11 which is a modification of a design from the
1960's.
The USA's military has not been seriously interested in nuclear weaponry since 1990, their priorities are clearly elsewhere.
edit on 30-3-2011 by mbkennel because: (no reason given)
